October 4, 2023 – The updated Covid-19 vaccination The vaccine manufactured by Novavax is now approved to be used within the United States, and thousands and thousands of doses are on their method to pharmacies and other healthcare facilities.
John Jacobs, CEO of Novavax, predicted that vaccinations would reach consumers in every week or less.
“Today's authorization of Novavax means people now have a choice of a protein-based, non-mRNA-based option to protect themselves from COVID-19, which is now the fourth leading cause of death in the United States,” Jacobs said within the statement. “In the coming days, people in the United States will be able to get an updated Novavax vaccine at major pharmacies, doctor's offices, clinics and various government agencies.”
The permit from the FDA comes as insurance and distribution Challenges have hampered implementation of updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, that are already approved by the FDA. The CDC has also cleared the Novavax vaccine. Like the brand new vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, the Novavax vaccine has been optimized to focus on more evolved features of the virus ahead of the colder months, when respiratory illnesses typically increase as people spend more time indoors.
The FDA said the Novavax shot is approved for anyone age 12 and older. Novavax uses a distinct technology to trigger protection than the mRNA shots from Pfizer and Moderna. Novavax works similarly to much older vaccines, including the tetanus shot for youngsters and the vaccines that prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B virus, in line with a Summary from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
In animal studies, the updated Novavax vaccine produced immune responses against a few of the newer circulating variants, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Novavax has not been used as widely within the U.S. since it was approved much later within the pandemic in comparison with other COVID vaccines. As of May, nearly 90,000 doses of Novavax had been administered nationwide, in comparison with greater than 400 million doses of Pfizer and about 253 million doses of Moderna. CDC data showed.
According to a federal estimate, a minimum of two million people within the United States have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine to date, although the CDC shouldn't be currently releasing regular updates on vaccination numbers because it used to.
Last month, the CDC really helpful that everybody ages 6 months and older get an up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine this fall and winter.